PSV rescue a point against Sampdoria
PSV Eindhoven secured a 1–1 draw against Sampdoria in the Europa League on Thursday, after a late strike by Balazs Dzsudzsak earned the home team a point in Group I.
Fabrizio Cacciatore put Sampdoria front midway through the first half, and until Dzsudzsak's second-half equaliser, the Italian team's heroic defending looked like it would earn them three points.
"After conceding, we continued to play football in a way that appealed to our fans," said PSV coach Fred Rutten, who was pleased with his team's performance despite the lack of goals.
"We kept our patience and creating many chances. Ultimately, we were rewarded. It's a very mixed feeling. We deserved to win, but there is a big difference between deserving and receiving in sport. I have to congratulate my team on the way we played."
Cacciatore's goal against the run of play
Dzsudzsak was lively from the kick-off, and in the tenth minute he picked out PSV's in-form playmaker Ola Toivonen, whose strike flew just wide of Gianluca Curci's post.
With 22 minutes played, Dzsudzsak played in Orlando Engelaar who forced a fine save from Curci. Marcus Berg scored on the rebound, but the striker's goal was ruled out for offside.
After PSV's promising start, Daniele Mannini hit a high cross from the right wing that Cacciatore headed past Andreas Isaksson for his first European goal. The Dutch side struggled to find openings in the remainder of the half, as Sampdoria sat back to protect
their lead.
Ten minutes into the second half, Dzsudzsak hit a shot that deflected behind for a corner kick. Moments later, Jeremain Lens headed Marcelo Antonio Guedes Filho's corner kick just past the post.
58 minutes in, Ibrahim Affelay received a great return from Dzsudzsak in the box, but the Dutchman's side-footed his strike just past the left post.
Lens turned quickly outside the area in the 66th minute, releasing a fierce drive in the same motion, but Curci was alert to the danger and punched the ball clear.
As PSV continued to pressure, Afellay hit a left-footed shot that took a slight deflection off Daniele Gastaldello. This time, Curci was beaten, but the midfielder's strike hit the post. The home team were certainly getting closer.
Determined Dzsudzsak finds the net
Dzsudzsak continued to do all he could, cutting inside Massimo Volta to hit another shot towards goal, but the Hungarian was again denied by Curci, whose performance kept the away team in the game.
The Dutch team were finally rewarded in the 89th minute. Sampdoria struggled to clear the ball after Marcelo's free-kick, and when it fell to Dzsudzsak, the Hungarian hit a low strike that found its way past several players and into Curci's right corner.
PSV managed to earn a well-deserved point after countless attempts against the unyielding Sampdoria defence. With better luck, their first Europa League fixture of the season would have ended in a victory.
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